The present invention relates to the field of mining shovels. Specifically, the present invention relates to a guide mechanism for a dipper hoist rope.
Conventional electric rope mining shovels include a boom, a handle having one end coupled to the boom, and the other end coupled to a dipper. The dipper is supported by hoist ropes that pass over a sheave coupled to the end of the boom. The hoist ropes are secured to a winch for paying out and reeling in the ropes. During a digging cycle, the dipper is raised and lowered by reeling in and paying out the hoist rope
As the dipper is hoisted through a bank of material, tension in the ropes increases. It is often difficult to directly measure the amount of tension in the ropes, making it difficult for the operator to know whether the ropes are slack or under stress. When the hoist ropes become slack, the ropes oscillate and wear against the rope guide members and the boom, thereby reducing the life of the ropes.